Frederick Ramsay, a retired Episcopal priest, has not been idle. He has three mystery series to his name, and one book that completely stands on its own. Throughout, one gets a notion of tough-minded humanity and not letting the dark win, however much the odds are stacked.
The Jerusalem Mysteries follow Gamaliel, Rabban of the Sanhedrin (a Jewish sect) as he solves sticky situations for the reviled Pontius Pilate and almost equally disliked head priest Caiaphas, who is obsessed with a certain radical preacher from Galilee. Historical detail abounds, as do moral quandaries, but it's the magnetic character of Gamaliel that will have you coming back.
Related to this series is a fictional biography of Judas. Growing up in hardscrabble circumstances, Judas eventually finds his way to Jesus' inner circle. However, he finds that his role is not to be what he thought it was. In addition to a compassionate portrayal of the betraying apostle, Ramsay gives us a good view of women and their place in ancient Palestine.
Botswana is familiar to many mystery readers as the home of Precious Ramotswe and the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency novels by Alexander McCall-Smith. Ramsay sets his Botswana Mysteries in the Chobe National Park and has a female park ranger, Sanderson, as the lead. The series follows the various drama precipitated by the decision of a wealthy, ailing American who decides to build a casino resort near the park. Sanderson and her cohorts have to use brains to solve their problems, as firepower is at a premium in one of the least corrupt countries in the world. Of course, when action might seem to flag in the human world, there are parallel stories among the furry denizens of the park, who seem much more straightforward than their upright counterparts.
The long-running Ike Schwartz Mysteries star a former spook in his native Appalachia. Often involving the local liberal arts college, Ike's adventures find small town life not as sleepy as reported. Expect plenty of character development over the course of this intricately plotted series.
Ramsay's latest book, Copper Kettle, is a prequel of sorts to the Ike Schwartz mysteries. Jesse Sutherlin is on a tight time limit to prove a murder was not the fault of the rival family on the other side of the mountain. As a WWI vet, he's more averse to the idea of sticky vengeance than his bloody-minded relatives or the sheriff, who wants to arrest Jesse for the crime. If you like immersive historical mysteries, this may be a good pick.
Impulse is a book completely on its own. In part a meditation on aging, this novel features a mystery writer named Frank Smith. Smith has come back to the school where he grew up and his father taught for a reunion. Based on his reputation as a concoctor of whodunits, he is challenged to solve a cold case that occurred on school grounds. In wry prose, Ramsay offers a humane view of various generations and provides some genuine suspense as well.
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